Understanding 
Web Store Firewalls
by. J. Carlton Collins, CPA

One of the most powerful aspects of a web store is the direct integration of the web store to your accounting system data. This allows up-to-the-second accounting data to flow freely to your web store; and for web orders to flow freely into your accounting system. However, once you give this scenario some serious thought, you will probably scream out loud when you realize that this functionality might also give internet hackers and crackers easy access into your accounting system. Worry not my friend. This threat has been minimized by the introduction of push technology. Please allow me to explain this strategic design to you.

As shown in the picture below, the web store does not actually read and write data directly to/from the accounting system in your office; rather it reads and writes data directly to/from a copy of your accounting data which is maintained outside your office firewall. It works like this. At regular scheduled intervals (which you control), your internal accounting system "pushes" a copy of selected inventory and customer data out to a web server which physically exists outside your company firewall. 

In this manner, the web store only reads and writes data to the copy of your accounting data, not your primary accounting system itself. This means that the web store solution does not give would be hackers and crackers more convenient access to your primary accounting system. Further, if a hacker or cracker were able to hack into the copy of your accounting data, any changes they made would be overwritten with the correct accounting system information the very next time your accurate accounting data is pushed through the firewall to your data copy.

Additionally, web orders downloaded from the web are simply text files that are read into your accounting system as un-posted transactions. When downloading these text files, your accounting system will not execute java scripts, ActiveX scripts, or other executables where viruses are know to hide.

Indeed, the newspaper headlines have taught us that hackers and viruses are a serious threat. We know that web stores can be vulnerable to these threats. However, the technology and know-how exists to make your web store 99.95% secure. Even traditional retail outlets and store operations can not make this claim as shoplifters and price tag switchers attack these merchants to the tune of billions of dollars each year.

Conclusion

The primary purpose of this particular article is to point out that creating a web store which is synchronized to your accounting software system does not necessarily expose you to additional threat of hackers and virus. Because data is pushed in one direction only beyond your firewall, this ensures that no new ports are opened to allow invaders to attack your system.

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